Amanda Bell leaves her old life of a prestigious position at a historical museum and breaks things off with her fiancée in order to fulfill her father’s last wish.  His request is that she archive and deliver his Southwest literary collection to the relatively new Navajo Cultural Center. 

When a tall blonde arrives from out of the blue bearing a welcomed but unexpected gift, Durango Yazzie doesn’t expect to see her return.  After all, the welcome that he extended was distracted and the accommodations that she was expecting in order to stay and record the various documents and journals is sorely lacking. 

The Navajo Reservation in Monument Valley is a long way away from the comforts of her Beverly Hills life but Amanda has grit and grows to love the beauty of the place and its people.  A certain quiet, handsome man who has returned to his roots and is teaching the youth here the importance of preserving their heritage has particularly caught her heart.   

Unfortunately, someone doesn’t want Dr. Maynard Bell’s daughter around.  There are questions still about his disappearance and the load of antiquities that disappeared with him.   

This is a very well plotted book with good pacing, and great characters in a captivating setting.  The Navajo culture and people are written with a seemingly natural touch and one doesn’t get the feel of a romanticized portrayal or a purposely grim one.   

Durango is a strong quiet hero who deals with things that come his way with an appealing integrity and depth of character.  There are several issues that he must contend with including the possible loss of family land to a neighbors claim, feelings of responsibility to a past love, and wariness of falling in love outside of his race.   

The heroine is also wonderfully written.  Amanda is personable, intelligent and tenacious.  Having grown up feeling that she didn’t fit in, it is good to see her find her place in the community and with a deserving man. 

Anonymous threats slowly grow more serious in the story and curious happenings could be to help or hurt.  Even an unclaimed charmstone left on the heroine’s desk is unexplained.   

Ms Harrison gives us details to see partial patterns of the full picture and when all of our questions are answered we are delighted with a perfect design.  Any reader who enjoys romantic suspense will delve into this book with great pleasure, but those who are searching for one with a Native American backdrop should be particularly thrilled. 

Menace, mystery, and culture clash mix with a leisurely romance to give us a thoroughly entertaining read. 

© Love Romances, 2001-2007. All Rights Reserved